A Brothers Bond

Chapter XV

The trio were hanging around the market place waiting for Dis who was buying supplies when some dwarflings came striding over to them. Esmerelda immediately turned into her horse form and Fili stood closer to his siblings.

The leader spied Kili and so Esmerelda pushed him behind her and walked forward next to Fili. "Do you always need your big brother and horse to fight your battles for you?" The leader teased Kili, Esmerelda laid her ears against her neck and her lips pulled up over her teeth, she reared up and tried to kick the bully with her forefeet, but he just pushed her over.

Knocking her head against a rock, Esmerelda was soon unconscious and had turned back into human, the bullies only laughed before leaving, both brothers knew something was wrong as she didn't move or squeal when she hit her head, but blood poured from it.

"You find mum Kili and I will find Thorin" Fili said, so they both started to run frantically. Kili found Dis and explained what happened, and once Fili found Thorin he explained what happened. Then Thorin got Oin.

"She's in a state of eternal asleep, and I don't know when she will wake up" He explained.

Dis began crying but Thorin needed to stay strong for his sister and his nephews. "I'll carry her back to the mountain and she can stay in my chambers" Thorin said picking up the shapeshifter.

"We want to come to" Fili spoke up for his brother.

"Okay" He answered and followed their uncle, they noticed on the way to the mountain that people were staring at Thorin and Esmerelda and making the sign of the cross and some even crying and collapsing to their knees. Kili and Fili didn't understand why.

They all walked into the mountain and Thorin gently laid Esmerelda down on the bed and made her comfortable because he didn't know how long she was going to be unconscious for, Oin checked her over and then found her skull was cracked on her right side.

"Don't move her, allow her to rest and hopefully she will recover" He told them. Dis never left her side, and the boys visited her every day telling her about their day and what happened, Kili was the sensitive brother and he found it hard to contain his emotions and used to cry at her bedside.

Thorin only visited her of a night, he sat by her bed begging her to return, holding her small hand in his. As everyday went by her temperature began to decrease and her heart soon began to slow, causing her breathing to become shallow.

"Thorin she's beyond me now, I hate to say it but unless you get an Elven healer, she will die" Oin warned him.

"Boys stay here with your mother, Oin you ride with me" Thorin said.

So Oin and Thorin both tacked up their ponies and they both took off to Rivendell reluctantly as it was the closest Elven city and besides it wasn't Mirkwood. They soon reached it and Thorin frantically dismounted his pony and ran to find Elrond.

"Thorin Oakenshield its a surprise to see you here!" Elrond exclaimed.

"Its my niece, she was hurt in the market place, she won't wake up and she is beyond Oins healing, so we thought if we came here you would help us" He said quickly.

Arwen couldn't help but here and came rushing to them. "Esmerelda?" She asked.

"Yes" Thorin answered.

"Father let me go to her, as I took care of her as if she was my own when she stayed here" Arwen begged.

"Fine" Elrond agreed.

"We must hurry" Thorin prompted her.

So she gathered what she needed and then mounted her white Arabian steed and they galloped as fast as their mounts could back to Erebor, once they reached the courtyard they jumped off the still moving beasts and and ran into Thorins chambers.

Dis, Kili and Fili were sat solemnly around Esmerelda, both brothers holding one hand in theirs, Dis dabbing her head gently even if her temperature fell she was sweating from the fever that had set in her bones, due to the infection she had developed in her wound.

"My poor little girl" Dis sighed rubbing her thumb across her hand, when she put the cloth back into the cold water and taking her seat. Kili and Fili had barely said a word to each other as well as Dis or Thorin.

"Dis, Kili, Fili this is Arwen she is going to attempt to heal Esmerelda" Thorin introduced them.

"Has she moved or made a sound?" She asked.

"No, she's been totally quiet and still" Fili answered. Arwen examined her wound, she expected Esmerelda to squeal from the pain of her touching her wound but not a single sound, Esmerelda's brothers both exchanged broken glances, it was almost as if though they had lost all hope.

"You've done an excellent job, sowing up the wound Oin" Arwen complimented him.

"Thank you Mi-lady" He replied bowing.

"Now I can give her something for her fever which should clear it up and being her back from the brink" She said reaching into her bag where she pulled out a bottle with a black thick liquid in, she took a wooden spoon out from her bag, poured the liquid onto it and then carefully poured it down Esmerelda's throat, she then took out an ointment which she rubbed on the wound on her head and it healed up.

Esmerelda's breathing became normal once again, and the fever began to diminish. "Kili, Fili?" She croaked and opened her eyes to see her brothers sitting next to her bed, they both got up hugging her.

"Thank you Arwen" Thorin told her.

"Thank you so much for saving my little girl" Dis said, Arwen needed no thanks from the brothers as she could see that they too busy hugging their sister and glad to have her back in the realm of the living.

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